


Family isn't a Bond

by Pinkwebby



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anti-Android Sentiments (Detroit: Become Human), Cussing, Daddy Issues, Deviant Upgraded Connor | RK900, Dysfunctional Family, Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed are Siblings, Established Relationship, Family Issues, Fluff and Angst, Homophobia, Insults, M/M, Meet the Family, Not Beta Read, Post-Canon, Post-Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Self-Worth Issues, Valentine's Day, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:47:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22723423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinkwebby/pseuds/Pinkwebby
Summary: Gavin's parents invite him and Nines over for Valentine's lunch, but things aren't all happy in this household.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 6
Kudos: 226
Collections: Hankcon and Other Ships Valentines Exchange





	Family isn't a Bond

**Author's Note:**

> This is my HankCon & Other Ships exchange for @otamatoneconnor! I hope they enjoy my little one-shot chock-full of angst & hurt, with a sprinkle of fluff and comfort.
> 
> I double checked for mistakes, so hopefully none are floating around in here.

“Did I dress appropriately for this gathering?” Nines questioned as they stepped out of the car. Gavin turned his head and squinted at the android, before he just shrugged his shoulders. “You look wonderful, babe. As always.”

“That does not help my nerves in this situation, Gavin. I want to make a good impression on your parents,” Nines replied, fiddling with the button-up he wore. It felt strange to not have his work jacket over it, he felt so much lighter without it. Gavin moved around the car with a long, audible sigh, “listen, Nines, I already told you that this little lunch? Not gonna be good. They’re gonna take one look at you and be on my ass like a pack of feral dogs. The only reason we came today was because they wanted to meet you _once_. And that’s all I’m allowin’ ‘em before I fucking cut them off again.”

“That’s very rude of you. I don’t think your parents would reach out just to rip your throat out for who you choose as a partner.” Nines tilted his head and glanced towards the rather normal-looking house. In a suburban area of Dearborn, the next city over, Nines hardly expected Gavin’s childhood home to look so…normal. Flowers planted in front of a simple porch with rocking chairs on it. A screen-door letting in the cool post-winter air. It looked rather…homey. 

“That’s exactly what they do. They like to stir the pot, for me, for Eli. If we aren’t perfect, it’s the perfect excuse for them to exclude you from most family gatherings,” he winced and shook his head. “I just don’t trust them. I’m sure they’re expecting some kind of pretty little thing, even though I’ve made it known that I like guys since I was like…15.” Gavin went into the backseat and pulled out a vase full of blue lilies, letting out a grumble about allergies.

They walked up the brick pathway to the porch, and Nines placed a gentle hand on the small of Gavin’s back. “Maybe you should not have kept it vague, so they would be prepared to meet me,” he stated as they approached the door.

“No way in hell! If I did that, they wouldn’t have even invited me over.” Gavin didn’t even ring the doorbell, he just opened the screen-door and stepped over the threshold. Nines had no choice but to follow him, the smell of potpourri hit his nose as soon as he entered. Cinnamon, cardamom, and oranges wafted around him in a wonderful aroma. He paused by the door and noted that there was no one in the living room. 

“Hey ma, we’re here!” Gavin hollered up the stairs, to which a sing-song voice responded, “I’ll be done in a minute, sweetie! I’m so glad you came over for Valentine’s!” Gavin set the flowers down on the coffee table in front of the well-worn couch.

“You actually came,” an unfamiliar voice said in a neutral tone. Nines swiveled his head around to see none other than Elijah Kamski hovering in the kitchen doorway, “dad’s gonna tear you a new one for bringing an android into the house. You should probably go before he finds out.”

Nines’ LED spun yellow as he stared at the former CEO of CyberLife. It was surreal. Of course, Gavin had mentioned his famous brother a few times, but to meet him in person, and actually think about how he and Gavin were related? Very strange indeed.

“They invited me for once, why the hell wouldn’t I come? The old man can stuff it, he ain’t gonna do shit,” Gavin growled out and Nines stepped forward to stand beside him. He placed a hand on his back once again, just as a comforting gesture. It seemed that Gavin held animosity towards his father, more so than his mother. Nines wondered what his father did to garner such bitterness.

“I think otherwise, Gav. He’s been bragging to his friends that you found a girl finally, won’t he be surprised when he sees you brought over two things, he despises the most,” Elijah leaned against the wall with a shake of his head.

“Why would your father hate androids if you are the creator of them? Should he not be proud of your accomplishments?” Nines questioned curiously.

“Sure, he’s proud of them. But he lost his job to an android, and my mother as well. They may like the money I send them, but they curse the day androids ever came into existence,” Elijah explained, before he promptly shut his mouth.

A woman stepped down into the living room, sporting a lilac purple sundress and a white, lace headband with a braid. Nines took this moment to scan her, gathering her name and age. 

Isabel Reed, age 64.  
Married to: Johnathan Reed, age 69.  
Mother of: Elijah & Gavin Reed.

“Oh Gavin! It’s so good to see you, sweetie! I’ve missed you so much!” Isabel ran forward and enveloped her son in a big hug, and Gavin hugged her back tenderly. It even seemed like he enjoyed her attention, his heartrate decreasing.

“Hey ma, Happy Valentine's Day. I got you some flowers,” he responded to her fondly before he pulled back to grin at her. From this angle, Nines could not see a resemblance between them. She had a similar eye color to Elijah, and rich auburn hair dotted with the occasional grey. For her age, she looked rather nice. "Oh thank you, darling. They look beautiful!"

When she finally pulled her eyes away from Gavin, they were instantly drawn up to Nines. After a moment of consideration, she quickly looked back to Gavin with wide eyes. This must have been the cue for Gavin to speak, because he sheepishly stepped back from her and curled his arm around Nines’ bicep, “Ma, this is Nines. He’s my work partner and he’s also…my boyfriend.”

Nines studied the woman closely, waiting for any kind of negative reaction to him. Elijah had said that their father didn’t like androids, did that include their mother as well? Nines held his breath without realizing it, the need for validation almost stifling. He wanted Gavin’s parents to like him, he really did. He could picture spending Christmas and Thanksgiving in this homey atmosphere, with Gavin’s family. To actually have…a family. To not feel like an android for just a moment. Isabel didn’t seem disgusted or unhappy, but definitely looked shaken up.

“Gavin, honey. I thought…when you said you found someone, I thought you found a nice girl to settle with. We were excited by the thought of grandchildren,” she looked downtrodden, and Nines almost flinched. “I told your father it was a girl, Gavin. Oh my, I should…I should get lunch ready,” she said hurriedly, before she bustled past Elijah into the kitchen.

Gavin groaned and shook his head, “great. Now I gotta deal with pops. Nines let’s go upstairs real quick. We need to speak before lunch is ready.”

Gavin intertwined their fingers and tugged Nines up the stairs and into a random bedroom. The room looked untouched, with a plain white bed and a few pictures of flowers hung up. Gavin let him go immediately and began to pace the room. He threw his hands up in the air with an exasperated sigh, “I told mom not to tell pops about this! And now I have to deal with the backlash while she just sits around acting like she did nothing wrong! Fucking typical of this shitty family to avoid the problems or punch them!”

Nines watched him pace silently, uncertain of what to say to calm him down. He preferred if Gavin did not stay angry during the remainder of the visit, as it would prove detrimental to his familial relationships if he were to become aggressive towards them. He must soothe his boyfriend’s ruffled feathers before they went back downstairs, or this lunch could prove catastrophic. Nines had not met the father yet, one Johnathan Reed, but from the way Elijah, Gavin, and Isabel spoke, it would not be a pleasant meeting in the slightest. 

“Gavin, you must calm down. Punching this problem will not solve anything,” Nines finally told him, a small smile gracing his features at his own joke. Gavin snorted and stopped pacing the room. He turned to fully face Nines and the android took that as an invitation to move closer. “I know you’re right, Nines. I just…I want them to accept you so bad. I want to us to be invited back to the house to spend holidays with my family. I got a huge ass family and they’re all here on Christmas. You wouldn’t believe some of the shit me and my cousins used to get into.”

“I’m sure I can believe it. You are quite the little shit now as well, Gavin,” Nines teased softly as Gavin wound his arms around Nines’ waist and stared up at the android. Nines reached out and cupped Gavin’s cheek and he leaned into it with a sigh. “I don’t want them to treat you like shit either. I know Eli won’t, he made androids. But pops…he’s a cynical son of a bitch with a prejudice for androids a mile wide. I got my attitude from him, so this will be like having an extra me in the room. Except my dad is pre-android revolution me. The one who tried to shoot Connor because I didn’t like him.”

Nines’ expression softened and he leaned down to plant a chaste kiss on Gavin’s mouth, “it’s okay if your father does not like me. It won’t change anything between us, I promise. We do not need your family if they will not accept us.”

“I know. I know you’re right, babe. I’m just making a big deal cause I…I can’t say I don’t miss my family a lot. And this was the first time they ever reached out. Guess I just wanna make a good impression again, is all.”

“If they care about you at all, they will accept our relationship. That’s what my research indicates a family should be willing to do,” he said, only half-joking. Gavin snorted and pushed away from Nines with sparkling grey eyes, “Alright, tin can. Full of jokes today, aren’tcha? Let’s go back downstairs, I’m sure lunch is ready by now.” He sounded grateful for Nines’ words, and the android was happy he could calm his partner down for a moment.

Once back downstairs, everyone is already seated at the solid wood dining table. And there’s a rather buff, angry man at the head. Nines has a masked expression on his face, seemingly unfazed by the man, but honestly, he was just a little terrified. Not of him, specifically, because he was a police android with a combat protocol that could easily take him down. No, he was afraid for Gavin. Johnathan Reed glared over at Gavin, and if the human had a LED, it would be spinning a furious red right now.

“Hey pops, fancy meeting you here,” Gavin hummed as he sat down and beckoned Nines to do the same. He hesitated for just a moment, before gracefully sitting beside Gavin quietly. He couldn’t exactly eat the food, and there wasn’t even a plate set out for him. It might have stung just a little, but he refused to let it bother him too much. It was just human nature, after all. To be terrible creatures to those unlike them. Gavin might have started that way…but he was different now. Better. 

“I thought you were bringing a girl home, son. What kind of game are you playin’ at?” There’s a thick southern accent in the man’s voice, and Nines is honestly surprised. He had no idea his father was from the Southern region of the United States. An intriguing fact. Gavin grabbed a sandwich off a plate, taking a large chunk out of it before he turned to Johnathan with a mouthful. “I never said I had a girlfriend, pops. I said I was in a relationship.”

“You brought an android in my house. It’s enough that Elijah brings his fuckin’ toys home during the holidays, but you too?” He barked out. Nines cast a cautious glance towards the man, noting that he wasn’t even looking at Nines. No, his attention was all over Gavin. At this viewpoint, Nines could see the familial resemblance that he and Gavin had. At least appearance wise. Johnathan looked like an older, more muscular version of Gavin. With dark brown hair styled into a buzzcut, slate grey eyes, and one familiar nose, he looked positively cocky. Everything Gavin used to be. Nines snaked his hand underneath the table and placed it firmly on Gavin’s thigh, squeezing it.

But it seemed Gavin didn’t even notice the gesture, as he was too busy bristling at his father. “Fuck you, pops! Nines isn’t a toy! He’s my boyfriend! Androids ain’t fucking slaves anymore, they’re actual people!”

“Not in my house, they ain’t! You aren’t dating an android, Gavin. I won’t allow it, not in my fucking house!” Johnathan bellowed out, tensing in his seat. Nines could see he was ready to get up and make a scene, which is the complete opposite of what Nines wanted. He needed to say something, to de-escalate the situation somehow. No one else was going to do it, both Elijah and Isabel sat in silence, the only indication that they were paying attention was Isabel’s hand covering Johnathan’s balled-up fist.

“Sir, I promise you I’m not a bad person. There is no reason to get upset about this,” Nines politely interjected, which just seemed to make him more pissed. He stood up suddenly, knocking his chair to the floor with a thud. He pointed a meaty finger at Nines, the snarl on his face menacing, “you and your kind stole my fucking job. I don’t give a shit if you are a bad person, tin-can. No son of mine is dating a piece of fucking plastic!”

So that’s where Gavin got his insults. Now-a-days, Gavin used the term ‘tin-can’ as an endearing joke, one shared between them. But when Gavin’s father spit it out of his mouth like it was acid, it made him feel…upset. This really was Gavin before Nines met him. He had heard the horror stories from Connor when he was first shipped to the DPD, but Gavin had become milder at that point.

“I’m sure he only keeps you around for sex anyways. They say that bots fuck better than humans now. Gavin seems like the type to have a little sex bot around to keep him company cause he can’t get a girlfriend-“

Gavin slammed his hands down on the table, rattling the plates and silverware as he stood up with fiery eyes. “Don’t you dare talk to him like that. You don’t know anything about Nines, and you don’t know anything about me! You only invited me over cause you thought I was fuckin’ some bitch! Fuck you, pops!”

“I do know you. Yer a worthless piece of shit who couldn’t get his act together until you were already a fucking adult! And now yer fucking a plastic prick cause you ‘think’ you’re gay! And this thing is probably a deviant who will toss your ass onto the asphalt once he realizes how fucked up and worthless you fucking are!” He yelled back in Gavin’s face.

Gavin set his jaw, but Nines could see the hurt on his face. He looked like he wanted to argue more, but instead he grabbed a hold of Nines’ hand, “I don’t have to fucking deal with this. You keep yer shitty little family gatherings and strait-laced traditions and shove them up yer fuckin’ ass! Let’s fucking go, Nines. _Now_.”

“Don’t leave, Gavin! Please!” Isabel stood up as well and tried to reach for her son. Gavin shrugged off her hand and he briefly looked back at her, “sorry ma, I can’t deal with this.”

“Let him go, Izzy. We don’t need that under our roof. Better off we just left him like he was before,” Johnathan sneered as he sat down back. Nines stood up abruptly and stared down at Johnathan with the coldest, most treacherous eyes, “you do not deserve to have a family. You are the only worthless trash I see sitting at this table. Complaining about losing a job to an android. I’m sure you were just lazy and got fired because an android could do better.” And with that, Nines turned and followed Gavin to the door. Neither of them looked back as they walked to the car silently.

The air was heavy with unstated emotions, and once they had settled in the car with auto-drive on, Nines turned to Gavin. “I’m sorry, Gavin. I know how much you wanted this to work out.”

“He was fuckin’ right, god. I am worthless. I couldn’t get a real human to love me to save my life, and now I’m dependent on you. And when you do realize that you’re too good for me, you’re gonna throw me away just like he said,” he choked out, his hands shaking violently as he stared down at them. Nines took off his seat-belt and slid over to Gavin immediately, wrapping his arms around his form and pulling him close. Gavin sniveled into his chest and returned the embrace, burying his face into the fabric of Nines’ shirt. Without prompting, Gavin slid into Nines’ lap.

“You are not worthless, Gavin. I think you’re perfect and I want to stay with you forever. There’s no one else who makes me feel this way. There’s no one else that makes me feel alive or loved like you do,” he whispered against the top of his head. Gavin sucked in a trembling breath as he cried into Nines’ shirt, his back shaking from the sobs that left his mouth.

“I love you, Nines. I’m sorry I couldn’t say it before now. Please don’t fucking leave me, I’m not worthless, I promise I can be good for you,” Gavin babbled, arms tightening around Nines’ back. The android’s LED circled red, before he reached up and began to card his fingers through Gavin’s soft locks. He could understand why Gavin was upset. To be rejected by his own parents for what he believes in and who he loves. It's just a little harsh, especially with the way his father handled it. Gavin's tearful reaction wasn't without warrant. “You don’t have to be good for me, Gavin. I love you for who you are. Your father is wrong about you and I. We love one another and that’s all that matters, right?” He used his free hand to lift Gavin’s face by his chin. After a moment of resistance, Gavin allowed his face to be brought out of Nines’ chest. His cheeks were red and wet, eyes already turning puffy. 

“Yea, that’s all that matters,” he echoed with a trembling bottom lip. 

“Now dry your tears, love. What do you think about going to an arcade to play some games? I think that’s a good Valentine’s day date, don’t you?”

Gavin let out a tiny smile and a laugh, smearing the tears away from his eyes, “y-yea, and I can win you one of those huge, crappy stuffed animals they always have at the prize corner.”

“If I remember correctly, those are at least 10,000 tickets,” Nines murmured against his skin, pressing a tender kiss to Gavin’s cheek. “Pfft, that’s easy babe. Just gotta cheat on the games. Don’t worry, under my wing, I’ll teach ya all the ways to win the jackpots.” Gavin turned his head and pecked Nines’ lips a few times, his whole body relaxing against the android’s.

“Sounds like a date then.”


End file.
